Tears, anger and laughter were witnessed all at once at The Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow a year ago on February 24, 2024, as guests were left disappointed and feeling like they got “scammed”. The promised “celebration of chocolate in all its delightful forms” turned into a tragic affair, where the police ended up attending a warehouse in the outskirts of Glasgow and the event got called off midway.
Organiser The House of Illuminati advertised The Willy Wonka Experience of pure imagination with plenty of chocolate to go around, magical characters and huge mushrooms, candy canes, chocolate fountains and more. The images were initially AI-generated and looked promising, showcasing the magical world of Willy Wonka. However, the event did not match up to its promises, as visitors turned up to a half-empty warehouse with posters on the walls, a bouncy castle and a few not-so-huge decorations.
Customers ended up being charged £35 just to watch actors struggle with their lines handed to them the night before, small props and a small bouncy castle. Furious parents have demanded their money back, reporting having to console their crying children.
Paul Connell, an actor who was hired through an agency to perform the event, told STV News: “My heart sank looking around … I just felt sad because I was aware of how many kids were going to be coming through. We were told to hand the kids a couple of jelly beans and a quarter cup of lemonade at the end.”
Apparently, the actors were also told to just improvise on the spot, and did not get paid either.
As usual, people on social media responded in the most hilarious ways, photoshopping celebrities into the “grim” pictures and commenting on new videos emerging daily. One person commented: “Every day there’s something new from the Glasgow Willy Wonka experience, I don’t want this to end.”
Comedian Zara Gladman shared her spin on the event on X: “Beginning to think that the Glasgow Willy Wonka thing was an elaborate art project about the impact of AI on the arts. Both the script and website were AI-generated.”
Another person said: “Mentally I’m still at the Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow.”
Someone also suggested: “I would watch the hell out of a six-part Netflix drama about the Glasgow Willy Wonka experience.”
Since the fiasco which was plastered all over the internet, the story has been picked up by Hollywood, with “Hangover” star Zach Galifianakis linked to the recreation.
What is more, Scottish production company Kaledonia Pictures is creating a horror film about an AI-created character ‘The Unknown’, portraying the evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls.
After the failed experience went viral all over the internet, being picked up by news publications all around the world, a group of people created a petition for the Willy Wonka Immersive Experience Glasgow to be brought back. The petition is called “Reopen the Beloved Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience“, and currently has around 8,500 signatures.